Supply and exhaust ventilation device

ABSTRACT

In order to efficiently exchange indoor air and outdoor air, to reduce power consumption, and to reduce discomfort to a user, damper, which switches between a heat exchange exhaust air path and a normal ventilation air path, is provided in an exhaust air path. In addition, a discomfort index is calculated from detection results of indoor temperature sensor provided on indoor-side inlet and outdoor temperature sensor provided on outdoor-side inlet. Further, controller, which switches between the heat exchange exhaust air path and the normal ventilation air path so as not to cause discomfort to the user, is provided to control damper.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a supply and exhaust ventilation devicewhich performs heat exchange ventilation and normal ventilation in onemain body.

BACKGROUND ART

A conventional art will be described with reference to FIG. 12.

Conventionally, a supply and exhaust ventilation device of this kindincludes, in main body 101, heat exchanger 103 for exchanging heat.Further, in main body 101, there are provided supply air path 102 viaheat exchanger 103, heat exchange air path 104 via heat exchanger 103,ventilation air path 105 not via heat exchanger 103, and damper 106 forswitching between heat exchange air path 104 and ventilation air path105. Further, supply air path 102 is provided with outdoortemperature/humidity sensor 107 for detecting outdoor temperature andoutdoor humidity, and an exhaust air path constituted by heat exchangeair path 104 and ventilation air path 105 is provided with indoortemperature/humidity sensor 108 for detecting indoor temperature andindoor humidity (see PTL 1, for example).

Such a conventional supply and exhaust ventilation device can becontrolled based on indoor and outdoor enthalpies so that the switchingbetween the heat exchange ventilation and the normal ventilation doesnot cause discomfort to users. However, in some cases, the control ismade to perform the heat exchange ventilation even in a condition inwhich the users do not feel discomfort because of a small differencebetween the indoor and outdoor enthalpies.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

PTL 1: Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-71184

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the case where a heat exchange exhaust air path and a normalventilation air path are provided in one main body and the same airflowvolume is maintained as a conventional supply and exhaust ventilationdevice, an internal pressure loss increases in the heat exchangeventilation due to a heat exchange element, whereby power consumptionincreases. Therefore, there is a problem that annual power consumptionis high if an operation time of the heat exchange ventilation is long.

The present invention provides a supply and exhaust ventilation devicein which power consumption can be controlled lower.

The present invention includes a main body which is provided with anindoor-side inlet, an indoor-side outlet, an outdoor-side inlet, and anoutdoor-side outlet.

Further, in the main body, there are provided a supply air path whichcommunicates outdoor air from the outdoor-side inlet to the indoor-sideoutlet, and an exhaust air path which communicates indoor air from theindoor-side inlet to the outdoor-side outlet.

Further, there is provided a heat exchange element which is disposed ona crossover part of the supply air path and the exhaust air path andexchanges heat of the outdoor air and heat of the indoor air.

Further, there are provided an air supply fan disposed in the supply airpath, an air exhaust fan disposed in the exhaust air path, an air supplymotor which drives the air supply fan, and an air exhaust motor whichdrives the air exhaust fan.

Further, the exhaust air path is provided with a heat exchange exhaustair path which exhausts air via the heat exchange element, a normalventilation air path which exhausts air not via the heat exchangeelement, and a damper which switches between the heat exchange exhaustair path and the normal ventilation air path.

Further, the indoor-side inlet is provided with an indoor temperaturesensor which detects an indoor temperature, and the outdoor-side inletis provided with an outdoor temperature sensor which detects an outdoortemperature. There is further provided a controller which controls theair supply motor, the air, exhaust motor, and the damper.

Further, the controller includes a damper controller which drives thedamper. Further, when the damper controller determines that the indoortemperature and the outdoor temperature are both in a comfortabletemperature range for a human body, the damper controller causes thedamper to switch the exhaust air path to the normal ventilation airpath. Further, when the damper controller determines that one of theindoor temperature and the outdoor temperature is out of the comfortabletemperature range for the human body, the damper controller causes thedamper to switch the exhaust air path to the heat exchange exhaust airpath.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a supplyand exhaust ventilation device which can be controlled in such a mannerthat the heat exchange exhaust air path and the normal ventilation airpath are switched so as not to cause discomfort to users and that annualpower consumption can be reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a supply andexhaust ventilation device in a first exemplary embodiment and a secondexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of an air path of the supply and exhaustventilation device in the first exemplary embodiment and the second inthe exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of a heat exchange exhaust air path ofthe supply and exhaust ventilation device in the first exemplaryembodiment and the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2C is a schematic diagram of a normal ventilation air path of thesupply and exhaust ventilation device in the first exemplary embodimentand the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a control flowchart, at the time of starting an operation, ofthe supply and exhaust ventilation device in the first exemplaryembodiment and the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a control flowchart of the supply and exhaust ventilationdevice in the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a zone distribution map of temperature and humidity, at aninstallation position, of the supply and exhaust ventilation device inthe first exemplary embodiment and the second exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 6 is a control flowchart, at the time of stopping an operation, ofthe supply and exhaust ventilation device in the first exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a control flowchart of the supply and exhaust ventilationdevice in the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing switching of air paths, basedon temperature, in the supply and exhaust ventilation device in thefirst exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing switching of air paths, basedon temperature, in the supply and exhaust ventilation device in thesecond exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a supply andexhaust ventilation device in a third exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 11 is a control flowchart of the supply and exhaust ventilationdevice in the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional supplyand exhaust ventilation device.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS First Exemplary Embodiment

In the following, a supply and exhaust ventilation device in a firstexemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Supply and exhaust ventilation device 1 in the first exemplaryembodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 is to be installedabove a ceiling, inside a side wall, or under a floor in a building. Inthe following, a case will be described in which supply and exhaustventilation device 1 is installed under the floor as shown in FIG. 1.Supply and exhaust ventilation device 1 takes outdoor air into a roomwith air supply fan 12 and exhausts indoor air out of the room with airexhaust fan 13.

With reference to FIG. 1, a configuration of supply and exhaustventilation device 1 will be described further in detail. Main body 2 ofsupply and exhaust ventilation device 1 has a cuboid shape and isinstalled under the floor.

Further, side surface 3 a on one side of main body 2 has outdoor-sideinlet 4 and outdoor-side outlet 5. Side surface 3 b, which is opposed toside surface 3 a, has indoor-side inlet 6 and indoor-side outlet 7.

In main body 2, as shown in FIG. 2A, there are formed supply air path 8which communicates outdoor air drawn from outdoor-side inlet 4 into theroom through indoor-side outlet 7, and exhaust air path 9 whichcommunicates indoor air from indoor-side inlet 6 to the outside throughoutdoor-side outlet 5.

These supply air path 8 and exhaust air path 9 are separated byseparation plates 10, 11.

Further, supply air path 8 and exhaust air path 9 are respectivelyprovided with sirocco type air supply fan 12 and air exhaust fan 13.These air supply fan 12 and air exhaust fan 13 are respectively coupledto air supply motor 14 and air exhaust motor 15. Thus, a rotation speedof each of air supply motor 14 and air exhaust motor 15 can becontrolled.

Further, at a position at which supply air path 8 and exhaust air path 9cross over each other, heat exchange element 16 which exchanges heatbetween the indoor air and the outdoor air is disposed. Heat exchangeelement 16 has a function to recover heat of the exhaust air from theroom and provide the heat to the supply air from the outside.

Further, heat exchange exhaust air path 1 shown in FIG. 2B, or normalventilation air path 18 shown in FIG. 2C is selected as exhaust air path9. Heat exchange exhaust air path 17 communicates, as shown in FIG. 2B,from indoor-side inlet 6 to outdoor-side outlet 5 via heat exchangeelement 16. Normal ventilation air path 18 communicates, as shown inFIG. 2C, from indoor-side inlet 6 to outdoor-side outlet 5 not via heatexchange element 16. The switching between heat exchange exhaust airpath 17 and normal ventilation air path 18 is performed by damper 19provided in exhaust air path 9.

Damper 19 is coupled to electric motor 20 and switches between heatexchange exhaust air path 17 and normal ventilation air path 18. Aselectric motor 20, a stepping motor is used, for example.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, outdoor-side inlet 4 is provided withoutdoor temperature sensor 21 for detecting the temperature of outdoorair, and indoor-side inlet 6 is provided with indoor temperature sensor22 for detecting the temperature inside the room.

Further, controller 23 which controls air supply fan 12, air exhaust fan13, and damper 19 is provided. In the following, an operation at thetime of starting operation of controller 23 will be described withreference to a flowchart shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation at the time of starting theoperation. As shown in FIG. 3, when a request to start the operation isissued, controller 23 first starts air supply motor 14 in step S31.Next, controller 23 confirms in step S32 that air supply motor 14 hasstarted. After confirming that air supply motor 14 has started,controller 23 starts air exhaust motor 15 in step S33.

Note that controller 23 may start air exhaust motor 15 in step S33 afterconfirming in step S32 that air supply motor 14 has been accelerated todesired threshold rotation speed.

After confirming in step S34 that air exhaust motor 15 has started,controller 23 performs control of a ventilation operation to bedescribed later.

Since air supply motor 14 and air exhaust motor 15 are each started attwo different times as described above, vibrations caused by the motorsat the time of start of the operation are dispersed and are thusreduced.

Further, at the time of starting the operation, controller 23 starts airsupply motor 14 before starting air exhaust motor 15, so that thepressure is positive inside the room, whereby there is obtained anadvantageous effect that contamination is prevented from flowing intothe room through gaps in the wall surface or the like. In addition, itis possible to prevent hot outdoor air or cold outdoor air from flowinginto the room through gaps in the room, whereby discomfort to the usercan be reduced.

Next, the ventilation operation by controller 23 will be described. Asshown in FIG. 1, controller 23 is provided with comparator 24 whichcompares detention results of outdoor temperature sensor 21 and indoortemperature sensor 22. Further, controller 23 is provided with dampercontroller 25 which controls electric motor 20 to drive damper 19 so asto switch between heat exchange exhaust air path 17 and normalventilation air path 18.

Here, the operation of comparator 24 will be described with reference toa flowchart shown in FIG. 4.

First in step S41, it is determined whether the detection result(T_(OA)) of outdoor temperature sensor 21 is in a comfortabletemperature range. In the present exemplary embodiment, the comfortabletemperature is a temperature at which people feel comfortable, accordingto a discomfort index.

FIG. 5 is a zone distribution map showing a relationship between thetemperature and humidity and the discomfort index. Generally, zone Z1and zone Z2 represent environments in which people feel hot and use anair conditioner, an electric fan, or the like. Zone Z3 and zone Z5represent environments in which people feel nothing in particular. ZoneZ4 is a zone in which people feel comfortable, and zone Z6 and zone Z7represent zones in which people feel cold and wear thick clothes or usethe air conditioner. With respect to the general humidity of outdoor airwhich varies in the range from 30% to 90%, the temperature range ofoutdoor air from 20° C. to 23° C. falls within the range of zone Z4, inwhich people feel comfortable. Therefore, the comfortable temperaturerange is set to the range from 20° C. to 23° C., and it is determinedwhether the outdoor temperature is in this range.

If the detection result of outdoor temperature sensor 21 (hereinafterreferred to as “outdoor temperature T_(OA)”) is out of the comfortabletemperature range, controller 23 instructs damper controller 25 to causedamper 19 to operate so that heat exchange exhaust air path 17 functionsas exhaust air path 9. The control is performed as described above sothat the outdoor air which makes people feel uncomfortable is notdirectly taken into the room. Also in this case, with respect to thegeneral humidity of outdoor air which varies in the range from 30% to90%, the comfortable temperature range is set to the range from 20° C.to 23° C. which is in zone Z4, in which people feel comfortable, and thedetermination is made.

If outdoor temperature T_(OA) is in the comfortable temperature range,it is determined, in step S42 in FIG. 4 whether the detection result ofindoor temperature sensor 22 (hereinafter referred to as “indoortemperature T_(RA)”) is in the comfortable temperature range.

If indoor temperature T_(RA) is in the comfortable temperature range,controller 23 instructs damper controller 25 to cause damper 19 tooperate so that normal ventilation air path 18 functions as exhaust airpath 9. That is, it is determined that heat does not need to berecovered since both inside and outside of the room is in thecomfortable state, and the operation is performed with exhaust air path9 switched to normal ventilation air path 18, which does not passthrough heat exchange element 16.

In the case where the ventilation airflow volumes of heat exchangeexhaust air path 17 and normal ventilation air path 18 are the same,since normal ventilation air path 18 does not pass through heat exchangeelement 16, an internal pressure loss is lowered, and the powerconsumption is thus reduced. That is, in the case where normalventilation air path 18 is used, even if a rotation speed of air exhaustmotor 15 is set low, the supply airflow volume and the exhaust airflowvolume can be kept the same. Therefore, in an environment in which heatdoes not need to be recovered, energy can be saved by selecting normalventilation air path 18 as exhaust air path 9, and no discomfort iscaused to the user even if the outdoor air is drawn into the room as itis, since both inside and outside of the room are in the comfortablestate.

Alternatively, the exhaust airflow volume may be set smaller than thesupply airflow volume. That is, when the pressure is set positive insidethe room, contamination can be prevented from getting into the roomthrough gaps in the wall surface. Further, the power consumption of airexhaust motor 15 can be further reduced, and energy can thus be saved.

If indoor temperature T_(RA) is out of the comfortable temperaturerange, controller 23 instructs damper controller 25 to cause damper 19to operate so that heat exchange exhaust air path 17 functions asexhaust air path 9. This state represents the state in which an airconditioner or the like is operating. Therefore, the control isperformed so that the outdoor air is not directly taken in and that heatexchange exhaust air path 17 is used, whereby the air conditioner canoperate efficiently.

Since the comfortable states of the inside air and the outdoor air aredetermined based on the temperatures to switch exhaust air path 9between heat exchange exhaust air path 17 and normal ventilation airpath 18, no discomfort is caused to the user, and energy saving can beachieved by selecting normal ventilation air path 18 in a state in whichheat does not need to be recovered.

Further, in order to calculate the discomfort index (DI), it isnecessary to use not only the temperature but also the humidity. In thiscase, when the humidity in a usage environment is assumed to be from 30%to 90%, the temperature range from 20° C. to 23° C. makes the discomfortindex (DI) be in zone Z4 (comfortable) shown in FIG. 5. In other words,the discomfort index (DI) can be calculated only from the temperature,whereby the cost can be reduced.

Further, in the present exemplary embodiment, the comfortabletemperature range is set to the range from 20° C. to 23° C., based onthe humidity range of outdoor air from 30% to 90%; however, thecomfortable temperature range may be widened or narrowed at theadministrator's (user's) discretion. That is, depending on the settingof the discomfort index (DI), the normal ventilation operation may beperformed also in zone Z3 and zone Z5 shown in FIG. 5.

Further, in the present exemplary embodiment, the description ischaracteristically made on the normal ventilation operation in whichexhaust air path 9 is switched to normal ventilation air path 18.However, determination on driving of damper 19 may be additionally madeonly by comparing the magnitudes of indoor temperature T_(RA) andoutdoor temperature T_(OA). Specifically, in the cooling season, thenormal ventilation operation may be performed when T_(OA)<T_(RA) issatisfied, and in the heating season, the normal ventilation operationmay be performed when T_(OA)>T_(RA) is satisfied.

Further, when a request to stop the normal ventilation operation isissued, controller 23 for controlling air supply motor 14 and airexhaust motor 15 first slows down or stops air exhaust motor 15 in stepS61 as shown in FIG. 6.

Next, controller 23 confirms in step S62 that air exhaust motor 15 hasstopped. After it is confirmed that air exhaust motor 15 has stopped,controller 23 slows down or stops air supply motor 14 in step S63.However, it may be confirmed in step S62 that air exhaust motor 15 hasslowed down to desired threshold rotation speed so that air supply motor14 is slowed down or stopped in step S63.

Next, after it is confirmed in step S64 that air supply motor 14 hasstopped, controller 23 is stopped to stop the operation.

In this manner, air supply motor 14 and air exhaust motor 15 areseparately stopped; thus, vibrations caused by air supply motor 14 andair exhaust motor 15 at the time of stopping the operation can bedispersed and reduced.

Further, at the time of stopping the operation, since air exhaust motor15 is slowed down or stopped before air supply motor 14 is slowed downor stopped, the pressure is kept positive inside the room. Since thepressure is kept positive inside the room as described above, there isobtained an advantageous effect that contamination is prevented fromflowing into the room through gaps in the wall surface or the like.

Second Exemplary Embodiment

In the following, a supply and exhaust ventilation device in a secondexemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the supply- and exhaust ventilation device in the first exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, switching is performed between heatexchange exhaust air path 17 and normal ventilation air path 18 based onthe indoor and outdoor temperatures, so that the environment in whichthe user is in is zone Z4 shown in FIG. 5.

However, in other zones, specifically zone Z3 and zone Z5, depending onthe condition of temperature and humidity, there is a condition underwhich no discomfort is caused to a user even in the case of the normalventilation air path 18, in which the outdoor air is directly drawn intothe room. In the following, the supply and exhaust ventilation device inthe second exemplary embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the supply and exhaust ventilation device in thepresent exemplary embodiment, outdoor-side inlet 4 is provided withoutdoor humidity sensor 26 which detects the outdoor humidity, andindoor-side inlet 6 is provided with indoor humidity sensor 27 whichdetects the indoor humidity.

Further, controller 23 is provided with heat quantity calculator 28which calculates outdoor enthalpy J_(OA) from the detection result ofoutdoor temperature sensor 21 (outdoor temperature T_(OA)) and thedetection result of outdoor humidity sensor 26 (outdoor humidityH_(OA)), and which calculates indoor enthalpy J_(RA) from the detectionresult of indoor temperature sensor 22 (indoor temperature T_(RA)) andthe detection result of indoor humidity sensor 27 (H_(RA)). Further,comparator 24 which compares the indoor enthalpy with the outdoorenthalpy calculated by heat quantity calculator 28 is provided.

Next, comparator 24 provided in controller 23 will be described withreference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7.

First, in step S71 and step S72, it is determined whether outdoortemperature T_(OA) and indoor temperature T_(RA) are in a predeterminedcomfortable temperature range, in order to determine the normalventilation operation.

Next, if it is determined in step S71 or step S72 that one of outdoortemperature T_(OA) and indoor temperature T_(RA) is determined to be outof the predetermined comfortable temperature range, the process goes tostep S73. In step S73 and following step S74 or step S76, it isdetermined whether outdoor temperature T_(OA) is higher or lower thanthe range of zone Z4 (20° C. to 23° C.)

If outdoor temperature T_(OA) is lower than zone Z4 (20° C. to 23° C.),i.e., T_(OA)<20° C., it is determined in step S74 whether outdoortemperature T_(OA) is in the range of zone Z5. With respect to thegeneral humidity of outdoor air which varies in the range from 30% to90%, the temperature range of outdoor air from 16° C. to 20° C. fallswithin the range of zone Z5. Therefore, the temperature range of zone Z5is set to the range from 16° C. to 20° C. If it is determined thatoutdoor temperature T_(OA) is out of zone Z5 (16° C. to 20° C.), thatis, if it is determined in step S74 that T_(OA)<16° C. is satisfied, theoutdoor environment is in zoo Z6 or zone Z7, in which people feel cold.Therefore, controller 23 causes damper controller 25 to control damper19 so that heat exchange exhaust air path 17 functions as exhaust airpath 9. In this manner, the control is performed so that the outdoor airwhich makes people feel uncomfortable is not directly taken into theroom.

On the other hand, it is determined in step S74 that outdoor temperatureT_(OA) is in the range of zone Z5 (16° C. T_(OA)<20° C.), indoorenthalpy J_(RA) is calculated in step S75 by heat quantity calculator 28from indoor temperature T_(RA) and the detection result of indoorhumidity sensor 27 (indoor humidity H_(RA)). Further, heat quantitycalculator 28 calculates outdoor enthalpy J_(OA) from outdoortemperature T_(OA) and the detection result of outdoor humidity sensor26 (outdoor humidity H_(OA)). Then, if comparator 24 determines that(indoor enthalpy J_(RA))>(outdoor enthalpy J_(OA)) is satisfied,controller 23 causes damper controller 25 to control damper 19 so thatheat exchange exhaust air path 17 is selected. Since the user feels coldwhen the outdoor air having a lower heat quantity than the indoor air istaken into the room, the control is performed herein so as not todirectly take in the outdoor air.

On the other hand, if comparator 24 determines in step S75 that (indoorenthalpy J_(RA))<(outdoor enthalpy J_(OA)) is satisfied, controller 23causes damper controller 25 to control damper 19 so that normalventilation air path 18 functions as exhaust air path 9. In order totake in the outdoor air having a larger heat quantity than the indoorair so that the indoor environment gets closer to zone Z4, the controlis performed so that normal ventilation air path 18, which directlytakes in the outdoor air, is selected.

Alternatively, if it is determined in step S73 that outdoor temperatureT_(OA), is higher than the range of zone Z4, it is determined in stepS76 whether outdoor temperature T_(OA) is in the range of zone Z3. Withrespect to the general humidity of outdoor air which varies in the rangefrom 30% to 90%, the temperature range of outdoor air from 23° C. to 25°C. falls within the range of zone Z3. Therefore, the temperature rangeof zone Z3 is set to the range from 23° C. to 25° C. If outdoortemperature T_(OA) is out of the range of zone Z3, i.e., T_(OA)>25° C.,the outdoor environment is in zone Z1 or zone Z2, in which people feelhot. Therefore, controller 23 causes damper controller 25 to controldamper 19 so that heat exchange exhaust air path 17 functions as exhaustair path 9. The control is performed in this manner so as not todirectly take in the outdoor air which makes the user feel hot.

On the other hand, if it is determined that outdoor temperature T_(OA)is in the range of zone Z3 (23° C.≦T_(OA)<25° C.), indoor enthalpyJ_(RA) is calculated in step S77 by heat quantity calculator 28 fromindoor temperature T_(RA) and indoor humidity H_(RA). In addition,outdoor enthalpy J_(OA) is calculated from outdoor temperature T_(OA)and outdoor humidity H_(OA). Then, comparator 24 compares outdoorenthalpy J_(OA) with indoor enthalpy J_(RA), and if (indoor enthalpyJ_(RA))<(outdoor enthalpy J_(OA)) is satisfied, controller 23 causesdamper controller 25 to control damper 19 so that exhaust air path 9 isswitched to heat exchange exhaust air path 17. If the outdoor air havinga larger heat quantity than the indoor air is taken in, the user feelshot; therefore, the control is performed so as not to directly take inthe outdoor air.

Alternatively, if it is determined in step S77 that (indoor enthalpyJ_(RA))>(outdoor enthalpy J_(OA)) is satisfied, controller 23 causesdamper controller 25 to control damper 19 so that exhaust air path 9 isswitched to normal ventilation air path 18. In order to take in theoutdoor air having a smaller heat quantity than the indoor air so thatthe indoor environment gets closer to zone Z4, the control is performedso that heat exchange exhaust air path 17, which directly takes in theoutdoor air, functions as exhaust air path 9.

FIG. 8 shows area S1 in which the normal ventilation with the firstexemplary embodiment of the present invention is performed, and FIG. 9shows area S2 in which the normal ventilation with the present exemplaryembodiment is performed.

As described above, by comparing the indoor and outdoor enthalpies inzone Z3 and zone Z5, in which people do not feel hot or cold, the statewhich does not cause discomfort to the user is determined. Thus, area S2in which the normal ventilation is performed becomes larger, whereby theoperation time with normal ventilation air path 18 is longer, and energycan be further saved.

Further, in the case where the ventilation airflow volumes of heatexchange exhaust air path 17 and normal ventilation air path 18 are keptthe same, since normal ventilation air path 18 does not pass throughheat exchange element 16, an internal pressure loss is lowered, and thepower consumption is reduced. That is, even if a rotation speed of airexhaust motor 15 is set low, the supply airflow volume and the exhaustairflow volume can be kept the same. Therefore, in an environment inwhich heat does not need to be recovered, energy can be saved byselecting normal ventilation air path 18 as exhaust air path 9, and nodiscomfort is caused to the user even if the outdoor air is drawn intothe room as it is, since both inside and outside of the room are in thecomfortable state.

Alternatively, the exhaust airflow volume may be set smaller than thesupply airflow volume. That is, when the pressure is set positive insidethe room, contamination can be prevented from getting into the roomthrough gaps in the wall surface. Therefore, the power consumption ofair exhaust motor 15 can be further reduced, and energy can thus besaved.

Note that at the time of starting and stopping the operation, air supplymotor 14 and air exhaust motor 15 is preferably started and stopped inthe same order as in the first exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

Third Exemplary Embodiment

In the following, a supply and exhaust ventilation device in a thirdexemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Although not shown in the drawings, heat insulator is attached or filledin the wall body or above the ceiling of a house. However, the heatinsulator is not fully filled in some parts. Further, when supply andexhaust ventilation device 1 shown in FIG. 10 is operated such that theairflow volume on the air supply side is larger, the indoor air mayescape outside through gaps of the room or may flow into the wall body.In the supply and exhaust ventilation device in the third exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, a description will be made on acontrol in which the indoor dew-point temperature is compared with theoutdoor temperature and in which the indoor dew-point temperature islower than the outdoor temperature.

As shown in FIG. 10, controller 23 is provided with indoor dew-pointtemperature calculator 30 and dew condensation determination unit 31.Indoor dew-point temperature calculator 30 calculates the indoordew-point temperature from the detection results of indoor temperaturesensor 22 and indoor humidity sensor 27. Dew condensation determinationunit 31 compares the indoor dew-point temperature with the outdoortemperature, and if the indoor dew-point temperature is lower than theoutdoor temperature, dew condensation determination unit 31 determinesthat dew condensation is to occur.

In the above configuration, an operation in which the power consumptioncan be reduced and in which dew condensation does not occur in the wallbody of a building in the intermediate season will be described withreference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 11.

After the power is turned on, it is determined in step S111 that thedetection result of outdoor temperature sensor 21 (hereinafter referredto as “outdoor temperature T_(OA)”) is in the temperature range of theintermediate season. In the Present exemplary embodiment, thetemperature range of the general intermediate season is in the rangefrom 14° C. to 24° C.

If outdoor temperature T_(OA) is out of the temperature range of theintermediate season, there is the temperature difference between theoutdoor temperature and the indoor temperature, and heat exchange iseffective. Therefore, the rotation speeds of air supply motor 14 and airexhaust motor 15 are controlled so that the supply airflow volume andthe exhaust airflow volume are equalized.

On the other hand, if outdoor temperature T_(OA) is in the temperaturerange of the intermediate season, indoor dew-point temperaturecalculator 30 calculates indoor dew-point temperature T_(DP) in stepS112 from the detection results of indoor temperature sensor 22 andindoor humidity sensor 27 (indoor temperature T_(RA) and indoor humidityH_(RA)).

Next, in step S113, indoor dew-point temperature T_(DP) are comparedwith outdoor temperature T_(OA). If outdoor temperature T_(OA) is lowerthan indoor dew-point temperature T_(DP), dew condensation is likely tooccur at a place where the indoor air and the outdoor air are in contactwith a wall or the like therebetween. In this state, if the exhaustairflow volume is decreased to reduce the power consumption, thepressure becomes positive inside the room, and the indoor air moves fromthe inside to the outside of the room and into the wall body, wherebydew condensation occurs in the wall body. To address this issue, airsupply motor 14 and air exhaust motor 15 are controlled so that thesupply airflow volume and the exhaust airflow volume are equalized.

By performing the operation as described above so that the supplyairflow volume and the exhaust airflow volume are equalized, the indoorair is prevented from flowing into the wall body, and dew condensationis thus prevented from occurring in the wall body.

On the other hand, indoor dew-point temperature T_(DP) is compared withoutdoor temperature T_(OA) in step S113, and if outdoor temperatureT_(OA) is higher than indoor dew-point temperature T_(DP), dewcondensation never occurs in the wall body. Therefore, the exhaustairflow volume is decreased.

As described above, there can be provided a ventilation device which candetermine whether outdoor temperature T_(OA) is in the intermediateseason and if it is determined that outdoor temperature T_(OA) is in theintermediate season and that dew condensation does not occur in the wallbody, the exhaust airflow volume can be decreased and the powerconsumption can thus be reduced.

Note that air supply motor 14 and air exhaust motor 15 used in thepresent exemplary embodiment may be AC motors or DC motors as long asthe rotation speed of the motors can be controlled.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the case is described in which airsupply fan 12 and air exhaust fan 13 are used to simultaneously supplyand exhaust air; however, in the case of an air supply ventilationdevice which only supplies air, the operation of pressurizing the roomis stopped, that is, the operation of the air supply ventilation deviceis stopped.

Further, in the present exemplary embodiment, the case is described inwhich heat exchange element 16 for exchanging heat of the indoor air andheat of the outdoor air is disposed at a position at which supply airpath 8 and exhaust air path 9 cross over each other; however, even inthe case where heat exchange element 16 is not provided, similar effectscan be achieved.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

A supply and exhaust ventilation device according to the presentinvention switches between a heat exchange exhaust air path and a normalventilation air path when air is supplied and exhausted, and is usefulas supply and exhaust ventilation devices which are used in generalresidential houses.

REFERENCE MARKS IN THE DRAWINGS

-   -   1 supply and exhaust ventilation device    -   2 main body    -   3 a, 3 b side surface    -   4 outdoor-side inlet    -   5 outdoor-side outlet    -   6 indoor-side inlet    -   7 indoor-side outlet    -   8 supply air path    -   9 exhaust air path    -   10 separation plate    -   11 separation plate    -   12 air supply fan    -   13 air exhaust fan    -   14 air supply motor    -   15 air exhaust motor    -   16 heat exchange element    -   17 heat exchange exhaust air path    -   18 normal ventilation air path    -   19 damper    -   20 electric motor    -   21 outdoor temperature sensor    -   22 indoor temperature sensor    -   23 controller    -   24 comparator    -   25 damper controller    -   26 outdoor humidity sensor    -   27 indoor humidity sensor    -   28 heat quantity calculator    -   30 indoor dew-point temperature calculator    -   31 dew condensation determination unit    -   101 main body    -   102 supply air path    -   103 heat exchanger    -   104 heat exchange air path    -   105 ventilation air path    -   106 damper    -   107 outdoor temperature/humidity sensor    -   108 indoor temperature/humidity sensor

1. A supply and exhaust ventilation device comprising: a main bodyprovided with an indoor-side inlet, an indoor-side outlet, anoutdoor-side inlet, and an outdoor-side outlet, and the supply andexhaust ventilation device comprising, in the main body: a supply airpath which communicates outdoor air from the outdoor-side inlet to theindoor-side outlet; an exhaust air path which communicates indoor airfrom the indoor-side inlet to the outdoor-side outlet; a heat exchangeelement which is disposed on a crossover part of the supply air path andthe exhaust air path and exchanges heat of the outdoor air and heat ofthe indoor air; an air supply fan disposed in the supply air path and anair exhaust fan disposed in the exhaust air path; an air supply motorwhich drives the air supply fan; and an air exhaust motor which drivesthe air exhaust fan, wherein the exhaust air path comprises: a heatexchange exhaust air path which exhausts air via the heat exchangeelement; a normal ventilation air path which exhausts air not via theheat exchange element; and a damper which switches between the heatexchange exhaust air path and the normal ventilation air path, theindoor-side inlet is provided with an indoor temperature sensor whichdetects an indoor temperature, the outdoor-side inlet is provided withan outdoor temperature sensor which detects an outdoor temperature, thesupply and exhaust ventilation device farther comprises a controllerwhich controls the air supply motor, the air exhaust motor, and thedamper, the controller comprises a damper controller which drives thedamper, when the damper controller determines that the indoortemperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor and the outdoortemperature detected by the outdoor temperature sensor are both in acomfortable temperature range for a human body, the damper controllercauses the damper to switch the exhaust air path to the normalventilation air path, and when the damper controller determines that oneof the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature is out of thecomfortable temperature range for the human body, the damper controllercauses the damper to switch the exhaust air path to the heat exchangeexhaust air path.
 2. The supply and exhaust ventilation device accordingto claim 1, wherein, when the controller determines that the indoortemperature and the outdoor temperature are both in the comfortabletemperature range, the controller operates the air exhaust fan and theair supply fan such that a volume of an exhaust airflow exhausted fromindoors through the indoor-side inlet is smaller than a volume of asupply airflow supplied indoors through the indoor-side outlet.
 3. Thesupply and exhaust ventilation device according to claim 1, wherein theindoor-side inlet comprises an indoor humidity sensor which detectsindoor humidity, the controller comprises: an indoor dew-pointtemperature calculator which calculates an indoor dew-point temperaturefrom the indoor temperature and the indoor humidity; and a dewcondensation determination unit which compares the indoor dew-pointtemperature with the outdoor temperature and determines, when theoutdoor temperature is lower than the indoor dew-point temperature, thatdew condensation is to occur, and the controller controls, when theoutdoor temperature is in a predetermined range and when the dewcondensation determination unit determines that dew condensation is tooccur, the air supply motor and the air exhaust motor such that thevolume of the supply airflow and the volume of the exhaust airflow areequalized.
 4. A supply and exhaust ventilation device comprising: a mainbody provided with an indoor-side inlet, an indoor-side outlet, anoutdoor-side inlet, and an outdoor-side outlet; and the supply andexhaust ventilation device comprising, in the main body: a supply airpath which communicates outdoor air from the outdoor-side inlet to theindoor-side outlet; an exhaust air path which communicates indoor airfrom the indoor-side inlet to the outdoor-side outlet; a heat exchangeelement which is disposed on a crossover part of the supply air path andthe exhaust air path and exchanges heat of the outdoor air and heat ofthe indoor air; an air supply fan disposed in the supply air path and anair exhaust fan disposed in the exhaust air path; an air supply motorwhich drives the air supply fan; and an air exhaust motor which drivesthe air exhaust fan, wherein the exhaust air path comprises: a heatexchange exhaust air path which exhausts air via the heat exchangeelement; a normal ventilation air path which exhausts air not via theheat exchange element; and a damper which switches between the heatexchange exhaust air path and the normal ventilation air path, theindoor-side inlet is provided with an indoor temperature sensor whichdetects an indoor temperature and an indoor humidity sensor whichdetects indoor humidity, the outdoor-side inlet is provided with anoutdoor temperature sensor which detects an outdoor temperature and anoutdoor humidity sensor which detects outdoor humidity, the supply andexhaust ventilation device further comprises a controller which controlsthe air supply motor, the air exhaust motor, and the damper, thecontroller comprises: a damper controller which drives the damper; aheat quantity calculator which calculates an indoor enthalpy fromdetection results of the indoor temperature sensor and the indoorhumidity sensor, and calculates an outdoor enthalpy from detectionresults of the outdoor temperature sensor and the outdoor humiditysensor; and a comparator which compares the indoor enthalpy with theoutdoor enthalpy, when the damper controller determines that the indoortemperature and the outdoor temperature are both in a comfortabletemperature range for a human body, the damper controller causes thedamper to switch the exhaust air path to the normal ventilation airpath, and when the damper controller determines that one of the indoortemperature and the outdoor temperature is out of the comfortabletemperature range for the human body, the damper controller causes thedamper to switch between the heat exchange exhaust air path and thenormal ventilation air path, based on an output result of thecomparator.
 5. The supply and exhaust ventilation device according toclaim 1, wherein the comfortable temperature range is a range from 20°C. to 23° C.
 6. The supply and exhaust ventilation device according toclaim 1, wherein the comfortable temperature range is a temperaturerange corresponding to a range which gives a comfortable feeling basedon a discomfort index.
 7. The supply and exhaust ventilation deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein, when operation of the supply and exhaustventilation device is stopped, the controller stops the air supply motorafter stopping the air exhaust motor.
 8. The supply and exhaustventilation device according to claim 1, wherein, when operation of thesupply and exhaust ventilation device is started, the controller startsthe air exhaust motor after starting the air supply motor.
 9. The supplyand exhaust ventilation device according to claim 4, wherein thecomfortable temperature range is a range from 20° C. to 23° C.
 10. Thesupply and exhaust ventilation device according to claim 4, wherein thecomfortable temperature range is a temperature range corresponding to arange which gives a comfortable feeling based on a discomfort index. 11.The supply and exhaust ventilation device according to claim 4, wherein,when operation of the supply and exhaust ventilation device is stopped,the controller stops the air supply motor after stopping the air exhaustmotor.
 12. The supply and exhaust ventilation device according to claim4, wherein, when operation of the supply and exhaust ventilation deviceis started, the controller starts the air exhaust motor after startingthe air supply motor.